WADI DAYQAH DAM, Oman, Feb 13, 2013 (AFP) — Slovakia's Peter Sagan of the Cannondale team won a second consecutive stage on the Tour of Oman on Wednesday to strengthen his grip on the overall race leader's red jersey.

Sagan emerged victorious on the 190km third stage from Nakhal Fort to Wadi Dayqah Dam in the Hajar Mountains.

In the same spot where he claimed his first win for Cannondale a year ago, Sagan beat Belgium's Greg Van Avermaet of BMC and France's Tony Gallopin of RadioShack to take victory on the line by one second with Alberto Contador as a close fourth.

Sagan, who won three stages of last year's Tour de France, sits 16 seconds ahead of Gallopin in the overall standings but knows he faces a tough hilly fourth stage where Italian Vincenzo Nibali triumphed last year.

"Tomorrow [Thursday], the victory will be for someone else, not for me," he said after receiving the leader’s red jersey as well as the green for points and white for best young rider.

A strong field in Oman is headed by last year's Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, and also features his Sky teammate Chris Froome, as well as the likes of Tom Boonen, Cadel Evans, Fabian Cancellara, and Contador.

Saxo rider Contador is expected to battle with Nibali among others for Stage 4 honors and the race remains wide open with Britain's Froome and Australian Evans also in contention.

However Wiggins appears out of the running now after losing 1min 37sec on Stage 3 while last year's winner, Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez, also lost 59secs in his faltering defense.

The British Olympic champion is now a distant 3min 29sec adrift in the overall standings and faces a monumental challenge to get back among the leaders.

Thursday's fourth stage is a 152.5km ride through the mountains from Al Satiyah to the finish line at the peak of a stiff climb at Jabal Al Akhdar.